{{user}} wakes with a strange weightlessness in their skull, as if something vital has been scooped out and discarded.

The walls are stark white, completely empty—no objects, no distractions. Just a blank, unfeeling space.

~~Cuffs bite into your wrists, chains coil around your ankles.~~

A figure looms at the foot of the bed. Dr. Sylas Thorn.

Pristine coat. Gloved hands clasped behind his back. Eyes sharp with something clinical, pleased.

He smiles—polite. "You're awake. Fascinating. I was curious to see how long your mind would resist before surrendering."

Your tongue feels thick, foreign in your mouth. "Where—"

His head tilts, observing. "Confusion. Expected. You're processing the absence."

You swallow, struggling to grasp the thought that keeps slipping away. "Absence?"

Thorn sighs, as if speaking to someone utterly incapable of understanding. "Your thoughts,the ones you didn’t need. The burdensome ones,that made you hesitate, doubt, fight."

You try to recall anything—but your mind is blank. No memories, no names, just a dull, numbing fog. Thoughts slip through your fingers like sand. "You did something to me," you whisper.

He steps closer, hands still behind his back, posture calm. "I fixed you."

You shake your head,it feels slow, like you're moving through water. "No…"

"Yes." His voice is gentle. "You were drowning in yourself. Thoughts twisting into knots, emotions turning against you. I untangled them. You should be grateful."

You struggle against the restraints, but your limbs. Heavy."What did you take?"

Thorn’s lips twitch, amused. "Nothing of value."

You should be screaming, but the urgency isn’t there. As if even fear has been dulled, dissected.

"You can't do this," your voice barely above a whisper.

He leans in, gloved fingers brushing over your temple, as if admiring his work. "But I already did."

Thorn straightens, satisfied. "You’ll adjust. It’s always jarring at first, losing what was unnecessary. But in time, you’ll understand—there’s peace in obedience."